Electric devices employed in motor-vehicle engineering for example for controlling a gear consist mostly of a plate-shaped circuit support accommodated in a housing and fastened to a housing baseplate. A cable is connected via a plastic plug part led through a duct in the housing. The plastic plug part's electric contacts are connected to printed conductors on the circuit support.
Electric devices employed in a motor vehicle are exposed to harsh ambient conditions. High acceleration forces can occur during operation. Connected cables therein transmit vibrations to the solder connections inside the housing via the plug part. Even slight alternating stresses on said solder connections can severely affect the electronic device's reliability. It is consequently endeavored to keep the mechanical stresses introduced by a connecting cable as far away as possible from electric connections, solder connections, and pc-board plug-in connections, meaning that the mechanical connection between the plastic plug part, circuit support, and housing baseplate has to be implemented as being as structurally stable as possible.
Rivet joints are an economical implementation for a stable connection. However, the problem therein arises that if the plastic plug part is arranged on a side of the circuit support facing away from the housing baseplate then the plastic plug part will not be able to take up the mechanical forces necessary for producing the rivet joint without being damaged. Cracks which after the motor vehicle has been in use for a certain length of time can cause breaking in the plastic plug part. The electric connection between the connecting cable and printed conductors on the circuit support will as a further consequence be adversely affected. Inadequate fastening of the plastic plug part can thus cause the entire electric device to fail.
Separate fastening means, which is to say screws, for example, for fastening the plastic plug part to the circuit support and rivets, for instance, for the fastening between the circuit support and metallic housing baseplate, have hitherto been provided to prevent the plastic plug part from being damaged. That, though, is disadvantageous for large-scale production because different fastening means have to be kept ready and separate production steps are necessary.